Fall Lawn Safety

Posted on by

As we enter the season of harvest festivals, great costumes, and pumpkin-spiced-desserts, the team at DogServices would like to share a few reminders on safety and fun for your furry family members.

Beware Fall Lawn Hazards

  • Fertilizers
  • Herbicides
  • Pesticides/Insecticides

These common products are used to grow and defend lawns and gardens across the US. However, each of these can be poisonous to pets. While toxicity levels are greatly reduced once fertilizers and herbicides are applied to lawns/gardens, it’s important to secure any leftover products in an area where your pet cannot reach them, like a high shelf in a garage or in a locked cabinet.

As for pesticides/insecticides, some can be extremely toxic to pets. Please read all warning labels carefully and keep your furry family members away from areas where you’ve used pesticides/insecticides for several days or until the first good rain.

Other lawn & garden safety concerns for animals include:

  • Rodent, snail, slug, and fly baits – if ingested, may cause serious and even fatal tremors/seizures in dogs
  • Citronella candles – if ingested, may cause upset stomach including vomiting and diarrhea
  • Cocoa bean mulch – while other mulches are generally non-toxic if consumed, cocoa bean mulch, if consumed in large amounts, may cause toxicity in dogs. As it is made from the same plant as chocolate, fresh cocoa bean mulch has a chocolate smell that may attract pets.
  • Poisonous plants – Poisonous flower garden plants include Iris, Oleander, Lily, and Star of Bethlehem, while the leaves of Rhubarb, found in some vegetable gardens, are also poisonous to dogs. This list is NOT all-inclusive so we recommend doing a little research or asking your local greenhouse/garden center for advice when selecting new plants.

Fall is a great time to nurture and improve your outdoor living space, but it’s important to keep the safety of your pets in mind. Handle these lawn and garden products with care, keep your animals secured while applying them, and call a vet or the Animal Poison Hotline right away if you suspect your pet has ingested any toxic or potentially toxic substance.

Animal Poison Hotline: 1-888-232-8870 ($35.00 charge per incident). The Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Sources: http://www.petplace.com/dogs/lawn-garden-hazards-in-dogs/page1.aspx
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/dogs/index.html